What is Animal Cruelty

Animal cruelty generally falls into one of three categories: neglect, intentional cruelty or sexual abuse. Neglect is the failure to provide adequate water, food, shelter, or necessary care. Examples of neglect include: starvation; dehydration; inadequate shelter; parasite infestations; failure to seek veterinary care when an animal is in need of medical attention; allowing a collar to grow into an animal's skin; confinement without adequate light, ventilation, space or in unsanitary conditions; and failure to trim hoofs or nails resulting in excessive growth (e.g. hoofs curling upwards). In some cases neglect is a result of the owner's ignorance, and can be rectified by law enforcement authorities, like the Ontario SPCA, educating the owner and issuing orders to improve the animal's living conditions.

If an owner fails to make the required changes, Ontario SPCA investigators can remove the animal to ensure he or she receives the necessary care. In cases where the owner no longer wants responsibility for the animal, the owner may surrender ownership to the Sault Ste. Marie & District SPCA. In more severe cases, circumstances may require the investigator to remove the animals immediately to provide urgent medical care.

Equally disturbing as neglect is the brutality of intentional cruelty, involving deliberate physical harm or injury inflicted on an animal. Regretfully, cases of animals being beaten, burned, poisoned or stabbed to death are not uncommon. In cases where animals survive, veterinarians often recommend euthanasia due to the extent of the animal's injuries or the extreme suffering involved.

In some cases neglect or cruelty is the result of people using animals as tools for commercial profit, such as in the cases of puppy mills, dog fighting, cock fighting, illegal slaughterhouses or the breeding of any species for commercial purposes.

Using Deception to mask abuse

Perpetrators of animal cruelty often portray themselves as kindly animal lovers, making it difficult for people to believe them capable of abuse. From the "friendly" neighbour who mistreats his pets behind closed doors, to the "respected" community member who operates a puppy mill - there is no one identifying feature that marks a person as capable of committing such unfathomable crimes. Abuse of any animal is upsetting, not only for the pain and suffering inflicted on the animal, but for the fact that animal abuse is often a precursor to human-directed violence and an indicator of family crisis. Untreated, any type of abuse can escalate.

One of the most powerful ways the public can assist Ontario SPCA investigators with their lifesaving work is to understand how to recognize animal cruelty and to report it to authorities.

How to recognize animal cruelty

Look for these common signs of neglect or intentional cruelty witnessed by Ontario SPCA investigators:

Illegal trapping of wild animals or animals left for extended periods in traps.

Excessive scratching of the head area, shaking of the head and dirt are indicative of a possible ear infection.

Chronic diarrhea or vomiting.

Animals kept in dirty conditions including being forced to stand in their own urine and excrement.

Swellings, such as tumors or abscesses, left untreated.

Rabbits with a severe head tilt.

Slaughter by untrained individuals.

Who to call when you witness animal cruelty

If you feel an animal is experiencing cruelty, call 1-833-926-4625 to report the situation right away for an officer to investigate. The more information and evidence you can provide will help the animal.